A disused water tower in Cambridgeshire is going up for auction on 30 May with a guide price of £275,000 before fees.
The property comprises a large 1950s former water tower together with surrounding land.
Perched on a generous plot near the shores of Grafham Water, Perry Water Tower is a landmark and now stands as a blank canvas for residential or potentially holiday let use.
Auction House London said it had been told by the seller that there had been a 'positive pre-application' on 2 October 2024 for the conversion of the decommissioned water tower into a residential home.
The tall stone building has a pair of green double doors, and inside features an old spiral staircase complete with glass brick windows, with the stairs allowing workers to access the tank.
The abandoned brutalist piece of infrastructure was previously auctioned off by Anglian Water Services in May 2023.
It went to the highest bidder for £290,000, almost triple the original guide price of £90,000.
With East Anglia being famously flat, hundreds of water towers were built to service the area and Anglian Water still maintains around 392 towers and storage points.
Water towers used to provide water pressure during periods of high demand using gravity.
But with more modern technological advances, they have now fallen out of use.
Water towers have been the subject of some major renovations in recent years, including the transformation of an 80-year-old tower into a luxury home.
Rob Hunt spent two-and-a-half years on the incredible conversion of the concrete tank into a four-bedroom home at Clovelly Cross in Bideford, Devon.
And last month, England's largest municipal water tower received additional funding to help secure its future.
The 40 metre tall structure, known as 'Jumbo', has towered above Colchester High Street since 1883, but has been on the at-risk register for the last 30 years. Historic England announced the latest funding allocation of £550,000 in March.
Buying at auction
Auctions are one area where good deals still come up. Properties sold this way can, in some cases, be substantially cheaper than on the open market.
According to Property Auction News, the average price properties sell at auction for is around £166,000.
Properties sold in this way often - though not always - come with added complexities for the buyer. It is therefore important to do as much research as possible before buying any property at auction.
Where possible, always visit the property in person before the auction. Read legal documents for the property carefully and, when possible, get advice from a solicitor before heading to the auction.
Sometimes, the legal pack includes 'special conditions' that mean you might also be liable to pay an additional three per cent fee to a sales agent.
Before submitting any bids, always check what sort of price similar properties in the area have sold for. This will, of course, be harder if it is a more unusual property like a water tower that you are after.
If you do bid, do not get carried away and bid more than you can afford.
Most properties bought via auction have a 28-day competition date and home loans for auction properties can be harder to get.
